The Buffalo Theatre Ensemble presented John Patrick Shanley’s “Outside Mullingar” at The MAC this past weekend. BTE has put together some very nice plays at College of DuPage and their latest falls into that same category once again. A relatively light-hearted romantic comedy, the play is set in rural Ireland and though the timeline is not really specified, the story has a timeless quality anyway.
Its small cast consists of four players, each important to flow of the story and adding the perfect touch of humor, which was very well received by the audience.
Robert Jordan Bailey plays Anthony. His character has the strongest connection to the rest of the cast in many ways. Bailey plays the part very well, which he must since Anthony is not your stereotype Irish farmer. With more than his fair share of issues and a lot of the jokes are on him. Playing Rosemary to perfection is Kelli Walker. Rosemary is a tough, young Irish woman who Anthony is interested in…or is he? The two show strong chemistry through the play, both very believable in their roles.
Rounding out the cast is Norm Woodel who plays Anthony’s father Tony and Milley Hurley who plays Aoife, a neighbor. They make up a durable support system to Bailey and Walker. Both are vital in the first set, as the second set focuses primarily on Anthony and Rosemary. The story is a simple but entertaining. The humor is what makes it a great play and it does not invoke heavy thinking or have the audience scrambling to search for hidden meanings. Theatre goers will, however, get a good laugh in. That is important these days or any day, I suppose.
“Outside Mullingar” is finely production directed by Steve Scott. The sets and sounds are excellent, which is par for the course in BTE plays. If you are in the mood for a good laugh, give it a go. Those seeking well-produced theatre experiences do not always need to go into the city to see a quality play. For us suburbians, this one is right in our backyard and the ticket price seems quite reasonable.
I am becoming more and more a fan of smaller productions. One of the reasons being the size of the theaters is small enough that you can see the faces of the actors – it’s intimate. You can hear the dynamics in their voices and catch the slightest facial subtleties. Buffalo Theatre Ensemble offers excellent actors that clearly enjoy what they do. It’s difficult not to respect these professionals that work so hard at their craft for somewhat small rewards. Having said that, they do need the support – and deservedly so. For little more than a meal at your favorite overpriced restaurant, you can visit The Playhouse Theatre and be thoroughly entertained. And in this particular production, not only will you save the calories, you will burn some off laughing. So, support local theatre companies. For some of you this involves getting out of the house and shutting off your phone. Both are…at times…good ideas…you can play Candy Crush when you get back home.
“Outside Mullinger” is being performed at The Playhouse Theatre inside the McAninch Arts Center through June 3rd. Visit www.atthemac.org for more info.
*Extended through May 2nd!
When walking past the exterior of the unflattering storefront on Clark Street in Andersonville, a former laundromat, one wouldn’t give it a second glance. Perhaps a handful of classic magic posters littered around the entrance might cause pause for a brief second, but that’s about it. No marquee, no ostentatious logos, no windows to peer inside. Nothing but the words “The Magic Lounge” near its main door would suggest that maybe something is going on inside – something special.
Upon entering the laundromat – wait, it used to be a laundromat, yet a wall of washing machines are in use. All signs point to the place still being a laundromat - we see clothes freely spinning through the circular windows of each machine while an attendant holds up a pair of underwear and asks, “Are these yours? We’ve been trying to locate their owner.” But alas, suddenly a secret entrance opens and I can only compare the experience to the Wizard of Oz, when black and white becomes color.
Much like an old-timey speak easy, patrons are quickly transported from the unspectacular to the spectacular. Music is playing, the atmosphere is lively as people gather around a bar that centers around a magician performing close-up magic and challenging eager volunteers with bar bets for a free drink chip. This in itself is already something. Onlookers gaze down from a mezzanine above. We later learn these onlookers are club members – magicians only. Not long after an usher escorts us to a library, some of its contents authentic relics of a grand time when magicians like Harry Houdini, Harry Keller and Chin Ling amazed audience after audience. After a brief history lesson, the usher escorts a handful of people through another secret entrance. What we experience next is nothing short of astonishing, as we enter a vast theater laced in fine art deco finishes with high ceilings above the balcony, the floor accommodating multi-layered seating areas that surround a magnificent stage to host its magicians. No details are overlooked. Club employees are donned in clothing reminiscent of the 1920’s Jazz Era, the women in sparkling dress then men dapper with white shirts beneath vests or skinny ties and suit jackets. You can almost imagine Al Capone and friends walking in at any minute while instinctively looking for a hook to hang your fedora. The theater is appropriately named after Harry Blackstone, the famous magician who really put a stamp on “Chicago magic”, which we are reminded by the evening’s host is a real thing.
The Harry Blackstone Theater
The Magic Lounge is a time capsule. The multi-million-dollar facility is an homage to the once popular magic haunts that regularly entertained its Chicago patrons. Magic clubs that were once such a prevalent part of Chicago’s night-life since the early 1900’s, have slowly – and not so magically – disappeared.
“Chicago Magic Lounge brings back a style of magic unique to the Windy City, which once hosted over 15 bars, restaurants and lounges all dedicated to what would become known as ‘Chicago-Style Magic,’” said co-owner Joey Cranford.
It’s main stage (yes, there is another stage – the private back-room, 40-seat “654 Club” for those who don’t want the magic to end – literally) will host some of Chicago’s most talented and colorful magicians such as Luis Carreon, Dennis Watkins, Bill Weimer and Lee Benzaquin and also bring in top performers from around the world such as was the case on opening night with superstar mentalist/wizard of sorts Max Maven. the shows are as interactive as they are mind-bending. Yours truly was even called onstage to volunteer for the great Mr. Maven. The venue will also host live music fitting to its atmosphere.
While having a bite and/or pre-show drinks (try the “Sleight of Hand”) prior to the evening’s main show, magicians circle the seating area entertaining each table with close-up magic. The club’s unique air of mystery, suspense and nostalgia is something that cannot be found at any other establishment in Chicago. And why Andersonville as opposed to a downtown location? Simple. Magic Lounge owners wanted to bring the gift of magic back to Chicago, therefore opting for a neighborhood location over an area that caters more to tourists.
Magician Bill Weimer entertains in the Performance Bar
Whether just going to hang out at the bar, attending a show in the main theater, catching an act in the more intimate 654 Club – or all of the above – a distinctively rich experience awaits you.
Live entertainment will be performed seven days a week. Monday and Tuesday evenings will welcome musical performances on the mainstage, Wednesday evenings will host David Parr’s “Cabinet of Curiosities” and Thursdays through Saturdays will offer the mainstage magic shows. A family-friendly show will be offered on Sunday afternoons. Depending on the show and ticket package, theater admissions range anywhere from $10-$55, though you can always stop in for a cocktail at the performance bar.
The Magic Lounge is an exciting scene that exudes the perfect combination of class, fun and awe. If its February 22nd grand opening is any indication of things to come, it will undoubtedly become a staple in Chicago entertainment for years to come.
For more information including performance schedules, cocktail options and pricing, visit www.chicagomagiclounge.com. 5050 N. Clark Street.
Be amazed.
There are fewer things in theatre more exciting the curtain going up on the first act of an opera. Often there’s no ceremony or pre-recorded note from management. The lights dim and the overture begins. How enchanting to take your first look at the sumptuous sets and costumes Lyric Opera has created for this production. Pilgrim-chic you might call it. Tradition and form make opera a unique theatrical experience. On a snowy Sunday afternoon, the curtain came up on Bellini’s ‘I Puritani’, signaling to its audience, get comfortable.
Eric Einhorn’s production of Bellini’s drama runs just under four hours with two intermissions. The first act is the longest at eighty minutes. ‘I Puritani’ concerns a Puritan hamlet in which a young princess Elvira (Albina Shagimuratova) chooses another suitor, Arturo, over the pre-arranged marriage to Riccardo (Anthony Clark Evans). Just before the wedding, Arturo obliges himself to save condemned Queen Enrichetta (Lauren Decker). While he’s smuggling her out of the country, word returns to Elvira that her fiancé has run off with another woman. She is devastated and the army pursues him.
Yeah, that’s the plot. Nearly four hours to convey that relatively simple story along with Bellini’s beautiful score. This is why opera is special, because for four hours, we really don’t care what the plot is. For centuries opera was performed without the super script translations, leaving the audience to presume based on summaries in their playbills. Projected translations are used sparingly in this production of ‘I Puritani’ – maybe because the plot is so uncomplicated, they’re not necessary. In any case, they’re certainly not missed and would likely be distracting. What should be paid attention to are these beautiful singers and the gorgeous orchestra.
A significant difference between musical theatre and opera is that the leads are not expected to be great actors. Voice is most important in these roles, especially in Bellini’s works. He believed that a beautiful voice is what stirs audience emotions. He’s not wrong. Though, Russian soprano Albina Shagimuratova is a good actress. She’s not heard until the second scene, but her performance is easily the most accessible aspect of this production. Her heartbreak is palpable in voice and gesture regardless of language. Act II is worth the entire afternoon.
As always, the costumes and sets are overwhelmingly beautiful. Haunting imagery is captured by the large cast numbers and soaring melodies. ‘I Puritani’ may lose the attention of its audience during the lengthy solos, but will quickly recapture focus when the whole ensemble fills the stage. Just as exciting as the curtain going up, is the curtain coming down. Opera enthusiasts scream “brava” and beg for more curtain calls, a truly opera-specific tradition. In opera, the energy of the experience sustains the art itself.
Through February 28 at Lyric Opera of Chicago. 20 N Wacker Drive. 312-827-5600
Once upon a winter’s glow,
I did venture to see a show,
A show so dark and oddly brooding, filled with misery and woe.
A new musical did appear,
At the Edge Theater it did premiere,
Nevermore:
The imaginary life and death of Edgar Allen Poe.
Upon the stage seven players did regale,
A musical rendition of the troubled poet’s tale,
With songs on pointe in pitch and scale,
Depicting Poe’s tragic life,
Filled with sadness, death, drunkenness, and strife
His countenance and will, through hardships made frail.
The cast of players did their thing,
Though some fell short when they tried to sing,
While others, like Poe! What a talent was he! whose heart and soul he did bring,
To the characters of a man both fascinating and strange,
He conveyed happiness, sadness, and showed a great range,
To the moon- which he reached- he did swing.
The music was ominous, and lyrics were dark,
The storyline has substance and hit the mark,
And covered all aspects of a story, that was anything but stark.
This well written piece was an enjoyable jaunt,
On a mystery of death that continues to haunt,
Their endeavor was clearly not just a lark.
Against many a theater I am willing to measure,
This piece and its cast did bring the audience pleasure,
It stands on its own and with some casting changes, could make a piece Chicago could treasure.
Poe is a topic du jour, many plays and stories are being written,
Of the man and his Raven whom the world still is smitten,
You’d do well to see this young play at your leisure.
Go to the theater I do implore!
To see this musical with an artistic score,
And be dazzled and delighted, by a life immortalized in lore.
This is a play I think you must see,
To the Edge Theater you must flee,
Before this play is…nevermore!
Nevermore- The Imaginary Life and Mysterious Death of Edgar Allan Poe! Runs through January 28th at
The Edge Theater
5451 N Broadway, Chicago
http://nevermorechicago.brownpapertickets.com
On Friday, January 19, in honor of Edgar Allan Poe's birthday, audience members are invited to join us after the show for a complementary Prosecco toast to the great author and poet!
Once upon a winter’s glow,
I did venture to see a show,
A show so dark and oddly brooding, filled with misery and woe.
A new musical did appear,
At the Edge Theater it did premiere,
Nevermore:
The imaginary life and death of Edgar Allen Poe.
Upon the stage seven players did regale,
A musical rendition of the troubled poet’s tale,
With songs on pointe in pitch and scale,
Depicting Poe’s tragic life,
Filled with sadness, death, drunkenness, and strife
His countenance and will, through hardships made frail.
The cast of players did their thing,
Though some fell short when they tried to sing,
While others, like Poe! What a talent was he! whose heart and soul he did bring,
To the characters of a man both fascinating and strange,
He conveyed happiness, sadness, and showed a great range,
To the moon- which he reached- he did swing.
The music was ominous, and lyrics were dark,
The storyline has substance and hit the mark,
And covered all aspects of a story, that was anything but stark.
This well written piece was an enjoyable jaunt,
On a mystery of death that continues to haunt,
Their endeavor was clearly not just a lark.
Against many a theater I am willing to measure,
This piece and its cast did bring the audience pleasure,
It stands on its own and with some casting changes, could make a piece Chicago could treasure.
Poe is a topic du jour, many plays and stories are being written,
Of the man and his Raven whom the world still is smitten,
You’d do well to see this young play at your leisure.
Go to the theater I do implore!
To see this musical with an artistic score,
And be dazzled and delighted, by a life immortalized in lore.
This is a play I think you must see,
To the Edge Theater you must flee,
Before this play is…nevermore!
Nevermore- The Imaginary Life and Mysterious Death of Edgar Allan Poe! Runs through January 28th at
The Edge Theater
5451 N Broadway, Chicago
http://nevermorechicago.brownpapertickets.com
On Friday, January 19, in honor of Edgar Allan Poe's birthday, audience members are invited to join us after the show for a complementary Prosecco toast to the great author and poet!
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